Review a cruise ship for The Times: the winner

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‘This photo is of my sister “posing” in the spa on Queen Victoria on the afternoon of its Maiden Voyage. We were so exicited to be on the first voyage and immediately scampered all over the ship exploring every nook and cranny before posting our impressions online to the Cruise Critic website. We have cruised together many times but the novelty of being “the first” to explore a new vessel marks this out as my favourite cruise.’ Teresa Critien, London

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‘Photo taken on P&O Aurora Canaries cruise August 2009. My child in the centre of the photo is my daughter Lucy Cook age 6 and two friends. Photo was taken during the sailaway from Lisbon. Lucy loved the Union Jacks. A great photo to remember a fab cruise.’ Joanne Gallagher, Whickham

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'Olden, Norway, Summer 2007. We were blown away by the gorgeous scenery. At every turn there was something even more jaw droppingly beautiful to look at. Stanley looks positively underdressed in this piccie compared to the Norwegian babies. Our overriding memory is of them being pushed around in prams covered in massively thick duvets, in August!' Catherine Cook

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'Early morning on another scorching day as we drift slowly along the Nile. In the distance a gentle roar, silence, then another roar and slowly, almost imperceptibly a shape appears against the hilly backdrop. Magically, a hot air balloon rises into the sky. The start of another blissful day.' Gerry Payton, Gloucester

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'"Reflection of a Gem" Even a rain shower at Le Havre couldn't dampen the day and gave us time to reflect on a dazzling cruise, now wishing for some epic "Times".' Martin Lear, Lincolnshire

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'This ship is called 'The Discovery' from the line Voyages of Discovery.
The photograph was taken near to the island of South Georgia in Antartica.
We have been on this ship twice. The itineraries are very good.' Mrs Sheila Gibson, Liverpool

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'While it is useful to know that P&O's Oceana can signal "England expects that every man will do his duty", it did not need to do so while cruising in Norway in August 2009 when this photo was taken on a visit to the bridge!' Mrs Ginette Fraser, New Malden

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'This photo was taken September 2007, one of many cruise holidays my wife Jennifer and myself take to Europe and the UK. It was taken looking out over Florence, Italy. What better way to spend your 25th wedding anniversary than in a city of love. Wonderful ship excursion.' Frank Connors, New Orleans

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'From the cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas as it sailed out of Sydney Harbour on its way to the Great Barrier reef and round to Perth WA. The view was spectacular, something special. My wife and I grabbed the chance of a shot with the bridge in the background. While the bridge is indeed impressive, in the shot we were looking directly at the Opera House ! Superb!' JD & S Brownlee, Northern Ireland

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'The 'will it won't it' moment as Queen Victoria approaches the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, New York Harbor in January 2010 after an Atlantic crossing. The picture was taken as it looked as though the ship was about to lose her mast - should have had more faith in the Captain!' Kirsten Lloyd, Leicestershire

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'View from the top of the Rock of Gibraltar, our first port of call on a cruise of the Meditteranean in August 2007. Our ship, Destiny can be seen in the harbour. It was definitely the best family holiday we have ever had as it catered for all our needs.' Michael Parkinson, Bournemouth

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'This sporty photograph was taken in December 2009 onboard the world famous Royal Caribbean’s ‘Oasis of the Seas’ docked at St. Thomas. After indulging in all the magnificent food onboard it was time to hit the fourth deck jogging track to burn some calories whilst enjoying the beautiful views.' Nicola Findlay, Horley, Surrey

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'We took our first family cruise to Alaska in July 2009 with Royal Caribbean from Vancouver and were bowled over by the delights and tranquility of the experience. With the views of the glaciers and the whales appearing at the side of the ship, our family will never forget it!' Susan and Andrew Needham, George Town, Grand Cayman.

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'We were on The Pacific of Quail shipping and found out that one of our waiters came from Transylvania and we joked about Dracula. Next night one of our friends cut a load of teeth from cardboard and at dinner we all popped them in when he wasn’t looking.' Jim Torney, Glasgow

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'Stephanie and Rosalia in front of the beautiful Norwegian Sun, in Ushauia Argentina in January 2010. A picture of perfect contentment!' Fraser Pirie

'My parents adopted me in Canada in the Summer of 1971. They chose to bring me home in style on the QE2. I was lucky enough to see the ship leave Southampton on her final voyage. As such, this photo is very special to me, it's part of my heritage.' Jo Gray, Hampshire

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'Barbed wire round the stern, fire hoses on the decks, windows blacked out at night, Ocean Village Two was escorted by HMS Cornwall with a support helicopter off the coast of Somalia to stop the pirates boarding. Great entertainment when taking a relaxing cruise after successful cancer surgery!' 30th October 2009, Nigel Swann, Lymington

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'This photo was taken departing from Cozumel Island in Mexico, on April 3rd, 2010, on the Pacific Dream by Pullmantur. As Mexicans, it's very expensive to travel on a cruise because we have to pay for in Euros, so we were planning this trip for almost a year. The expression of my son Joaquin is says it all: finally, I made it!' Luis E. Ontiveros Padilla, Mexico

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'This photograph was taken on a cruise to the Eastern Mediteranean in November 2006 as we were approaching Istanbul prior to a snowstorm.' Martin Leggett, Switzerland

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'Taken on board my “trip of a lifetime” to Antarctica in January 2009, as we weaved our way through icebergs in the Lemair Channel. The memories of the landscapes, seascapes and wildlife will live with me forever.' Mrs R Tabberer, Plymouth

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'This picture sums up cruising for us, we love to sit and watch the world go by on a cruise ship. Just looking at this picture on a bleak cold british winter's day always cheers me up. Taken on Ventura in November 2008 somewhere in the Atlantic.' Janet Rawlinson

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'December 2006, our one-night cruise already exceeded everything we had expected. Early morning, bracing ourselves on deck against the cold, engines were switched off. No-one moved as our senses were overcome by the sound of silence, the taste and smell of pure air, and the sheer beauty of Doubtful Sound.' Jane Jones, Suffolk

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Celebrity Summit, August 2009, Villefranche.
'Where else can one be met with such beauty? The view stepping off a train in Villefranche, the gateway to the Principality of Monaco. In the distance Celebrity Summit is anchored in the bay, basking in the warm Mediterranean Sea. The picture was taken to highlight tranquillity after a bustling train journey.'
Gary Culkin, Aberdeen

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'This picture is of my first cruise on the P&O Arcadia, 1958 Gala night (hence the party hats), aged 11 with my mum and table companions. 65+ cruises later, I still enjoy what cruising has to offer, my enthusiasm and passion unaltered by
time. Writing reviews has now become a pleasurable additional pastime.' Bill Dodd, Warwickshire

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'This picture was taken on 10th March 2010 at Half Moon Cay, Bahamas and marked P&O Cruises’ inaugural visit to the island. The final port of call before heading back to Southampton, it was a magical day for both the passengers and crew that my family will remember always.' Debbie Weir, Ormskirk

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'We had arrived in Geirangerfjord very early in the morning, as we rounded the bend into Geiranger everybody else crowded the bow of the ship. I waited in the quiet at the stern when the mist lifted slightly, revealing the full majesty of the fjord.' Jake Elcock, Shropshire

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'This photo was taken at breakfast on our aft balcony on Celebrity Constellation on a caribbean cruise a couple of years ago. To me it sums up cruising, a moment of peaceful indulgence in the middle of a vast ocean. Heaven on earth, only on a cruise ship.' Julie Hazell, Newquay

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'I took this picture of a storm on a Mediterranean cruise in January, but it turned out to be a virga, where heat causes rain to evaporate before it reaches the ground. The magic of cruising is that because you can see for miles, the weather you witness is unlike anywhere else.' Emma Freeman, London

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'This photo was taken during my honeymoon on NCL’s Pride of America ship as we were sailing past the spectacular Napali Coast in Kauai. Only by cruising past it did we get the rare opportunity to capture the scenic backdrop in this photo. Photo was taken in October 2008.'
William Yan, London

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'This image was taken last month aboard Costa Allegra as we made our way from Singapore to Savona, over the space of 35 days. The photo is of the sun rising over the Gulf of Aden. It was a stunning morning with mirror calm seas and perfect visibility. The photo appealed to me as it captures the troubled area in peace & natural beauty.' Alison Jones, York

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'This is the SS Nieuw Amsterdan and the SS Rotterdam in New York. I sent this picture because I worked on both ships and met my wife on the SS Rotterdam in 1965. I worked for HAL from 1959 till 1970 and 1988 till 2006.' Rob Dickmann, retired Maitre d'Hotel from Holland-America-Line, Netherlands

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'It is acknowledged that to travel hopefully is often more pleasurable than to arrive, cruising makes the ‘travelling hopefully’ a delight, the arrival equally pleasurable, the stay not overlong. No boredom with same view, same sea, same sky, the departure merely a prelude of things to come.' Angela Cave, Wiltshire

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'This picture was taken from the top of a hill at one of the Lofoten Islands in Norway in June 2005. I choose it because of the breathtaking beauty of this unspoiled place.' Vadim Shpak, London

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'The first Iceberg I saw in Antarctica. We sailed from Buenos Aires and the change of temperature and light was exhilarating, even the sea water seemed to move differently. The aqua blue colour of the ice is so unexpected. The vastness and the clarity of the air was unforgettable.'
Diane Andrews, Hampshire

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'Decided on a cruise as it was the easiest way to holiday for a young family. This is our 8 month old at muster on Ventura in 2008 all dressed and ready to be evacuated. She was laughing at everyone dressed in bright orange life jackets.' Andrew Doyle, Manchester

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'This photo was taken onboard the Oceana, a P&O Cruise ship in September 2008, as it was leaving the harbor of Lisbon, Portugal. The backdrop of the Cristo-Rei statue in the background provided a reminder of the port we were leaving, while the fluttering Union Jack's held by passengers indicated the port we were returning to - Southampton.' Carley Hollis, St Andrews

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This photograph was taken whilst at sea on the Ventura on 31 August 2009 on a special 2-day mini cruise Southampton - Bruges - Southampton. From left to right, Jenevora Swann, Wendy Swann, Debbie Skyrme. Celebrating my mother’s 70th birthday, we surprised her with a holiday, fulfilling her dream to cruise from Southampton. Our first family holiday for 20 years, but at embarkation my sister realised she’d left her passport behind. Thanks to a speedy courier from Cornwall, she made it and the celebrations began! Jenevora Swann, Lymington

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This picture was taken on the dockside in Tromso while we were waiting for it to arrive to go on a mini cruise through the Norwegian fjords. Neil Molyneux, Bootle, Merseyside

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This honeymoon photo was taken in April 2006, under the waterfall at Dunn’s River Jamaica, just one hour after our wedding on board a cruise ship. 46 friends and family from the UK had sailed with us around the Caribbean. We have cruised 58 times before and love it. David and Anita Chipping, Esher

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‘Starting in Venice last summer, our cruise was a magical medley of chic Mediterranean destinations on the Splendour of the Seas. Far too many highlights to mention, but my daughter couldn’t wait to return to the stateroom each night to see what animal the attendant had fashioned from the towels!’ Michele Titchen, Hertford

Ginny Light

Last updated at 12:05PM, May 17 2010

The competition has now closed. The winner is Teresa Critien, pictured above. Come back next month to watch Teresa’s video review

Love cruise ship holidays? Fancy being a travel journalist? Think you could
review a new cruise ship for The Times?

We’re looking for a fan of cruise ship holidays to board the new Norwegian
Cruise Line ship, Norwegian Epic,
for two days next month and feature in a video review of the ship.

Norwegian Epic is the 11th vessel in the Norwegian Cruise Line Freestyle
Cruising fleet, which offers flexible dining and entertainment and is aimed
at families, first-time and experienced cruise holidaymakers.

The ship launches on June 22, and if you win our competition to review it, you
will